Deck 20: The Origin and Evolution of Life

Question 1

The bacterium Thermus aquaticus proved to be important in biology because

A)it put researchers on a path that led to the great domain of life, the Archaea.
B)it makes a heat resistant enzyme.
C)its heat-resistant enzyme can catalyze the polymerase chain reaction.
D)synthetic forms of its heat-resistant enzyme triggered a revolution in biotechnology.
E)all of these are true.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The solar system is about how many years old?

A)about 12 billion
B)about 4.6 billion
C)750 million
D)400 million
E)200 million

Answer 2

B

Question 3

One hypothesis concerning the origin of the abiotic synthesis of proteins holds that these proteins formed on and were bound and protected by

A)oceanic stratified mica crystals.
B)clay compounds in tidal flats.
C)sediments in the oceans.
D)oceanic metal ores.
E)none of these.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

An hypothesis currently getting a lot of attention concerning the origin of biological molecules is that they originated

A)in hot springs.
B)near volcanoes.
C)near hydrothermal oceanic vents.
D)in salt lakes.
E)in tidal pools.

Question 5

Which of the following events is (are) related to the origin of our solar system?

A)explosions of dying stars
B)formation of a dense cloud of dust and gas
C)cooling of cosmic matter
D)coalescing of cosmic matter influenced by gravity
E)all of these

Question 6

According to astronomers, the universe is

A)contracting.
B)getting warmer.
C)the same as it was on the day of creation.
D)collapsing.
E)expanding.

Question 7

Which of the following conditions if present in the earth's primitive atmosphere would have made the emergence of life impossible?

A)low concentration of carbon dioxide
B)high concentration hydrogen sulfide
C)high concentration of oxygen
D)high concentration of hydrogen
E)high concentration of nitrogen

Question 8

Chemical evolution started on Earth

A)after the appearance of prokaryotic cells.
B)long before any cells emerged.
C)after the appearance of eukaryotic cells.
D)after the appearance of eukaryotic cells but before the appearance of multicellular organisms.
E)after the appearance of multicellular organisms.

Question 9

The assumption that there was little free oxygen in the earth's first atmosphere is supported by evidence derived from the study of

A)ancient iron-containing rocks.
B)the ancient atmosphere.
C)oceanic sediments.
D)moon rocks that formed at the same time as the earth.
E)none of these.

Question 10

The formation of amino acids under abiotic conditions was important because they serve as

A)a supply of structural units for proteins.
B)enzymes to catalyze reactions.
C)subunits in the formation of DNA.
D)subunits in the formation of RNA.
E)subunits for the formation of lipids.

Question 11

Meteorites have been found to contain

A)simple sugars.
B)fatty acids.
C)amino acids.
D)nucleotides.
E)all of these.

Question 12

Who demonstrated the possibility of producing organic compounds from gases and water if the mixture is exposed to energy?

A)Stanley Miller
B)Thomas Brock
C)Australian researchers
D)Jeon Kwang
E)Lynn Margulis

Question 13

The earth's earliest atmosphere was likely composed mostly of gaseous

A)hydrogen.
B)nitrogen.
C)water vapor.
D)carbon dioxide.
E)mixtures of these.

Question 14

Life probably would never have emerged on Earth if the ancient atmosphere had been the same as the present one in regard to

A)carbon dioxide.
B)hydrogen.
C)oxygen.
D)nitrogen.
E)carbon monoxide.

Question 15

Proto-cells are considered to have

A)been simple membrane-bound sacs.
B)been able to capture energy
C)been able to engage in metabolism.
D)been able to reproduce.
E)all of these.

Question 16

Many organic compounds essential for life do NOT assemble spontaneously in the presence of

A)high concentrations of hydrogen.
B)high concentrations of oxygen.
C)low concentrations of carbon dioxide.
D)nitrogen.
E)hydrogen sulfide.

Question 17

Simulation experiments like those first performed by Stanley Miller in 1953 demonstrate that

A)DNA forms readily and reproduces itself under abiotic conditions.
B)many of the organic compounds required for life can form under abiotic conditions.
C)prokaryotic cells form under simulated primitive atmosphere conditions.
D)membranes eventually form under simulated primitive atmosphere conditions.
E)none of these are true.

Question 18

After the discovery of T.aquaticus, biologists found forms of life adapted to extraordinary levels of

A)acidity.
B)alkalinity.
C)salinity.
D)pressure.
E)all of these.

Question 19

The first cells appeared on Earth about __________ years after its crust solidified.

A)1 billion
B)200 million
C)3.8 billion
D)4.5 billion
E)a few

Question 20

The "big bang" refers to

A)an event marking the beginning of the universe.
B)the extinction of the dinosaurs.
C)the inevitable end of the universe.
D)the collision of the first galaxies forming the universe as it is today.
E)the inevitable death of large stars.

Question 21

DNA replaced RNA as the main information molecule probably because

A)DNA contains thymine and RNA does not.
B)DNA is double stranded and breaks less easily.
C)DNA can store more protein-building instructions in less space.
D)RNA is highly unstable.
E)two of these are correct..

Question 22

Aerobic respiration became established as a result of the evolution of

A)the first proto-cells.
B)the first true cells.
C)metabolism.
D)the cyclic pathway of photosynthesis.
E)the noncyclic pathway of photosynthesis.

Question 23

By 3.2 billion years ago, chemosynthetic cells had become established

A)near deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
B)in salt lakes.
C)in hot, highly acidic, fresh-water springs.
D)in deep oceanic sediments.
E)in the upper sunlit waters of the open oceans.

Question 24

Hydrothermal vents are associated with the newest theory on early cell evolution.Which of the following is a true statement?

A)Synthesis of organic material occurs in superheated mineral rich water.
B)Iron-sulfide molecules may act as cofactors for organic material production.
C)Rock formed under these conditions has small pits about the size of an average cell.
D)Under these conditions iron sulfide would donate hydrogen to carbon dioxide to form organics.
E)All of these are true.

Question 25

The endosymbiotic theory is supported by the work of __________ on bacteria-infected Amoeba proteus.

A)Stanley Miller
B)Jeon Kwang
C)Thomas Brock
D)Lynn Margulis
E)Australian researchers

Question 26

According to the endosymbiotic theory, eukaryotic cells evolved after and as a consequence of

A)the cyclic pathway of photosynthesis.
B)anaerobic respiration.
C)cell division.
D)the noncyclic pathway of photosynthesis.
E)chemosynthesis.

Question 27

The by-product of the metabolism of cyanobacteria that had the most effect on the further evolution of life is

A)oxygen gas.
B)carbon dioxide.
C)water.
D)nitrogen gas.
E)hydrogen gas.

Question 28

What step occurred first in the evolution of life?

A)formation of DNA
B)formation of protein-RNA systems
C)formation of membrane-bound proto-cells
D)spontaneous formation of organic compounds under abiotic conditions
E)formation of ATP

Question 29

The first eukaryotic fossils are dated to about

A)3.8 billion years ago.
B)2.1 billion years ago.
C)1.5 billion years ago.
D)750 million years ago.
E)201 million years ago.

Question 30

The accumulation of free oxygen in the atmosphere

A)was a result of the accumulation of a by-product of a type of photosynthesis.
B)prevented the further spontaneous generation of life.
C)provided the opportunity to extract more energy through aerobic respiration.
D)did not occur immediately after the earth was formed.
E)did all of these.

Question 31

Which of the following is the probable basis for the evolution of mitochondria and chloroplasts?

A)Cells eat each other.
B)Light is an energy source.
C)ATP can carry energy.
D)Oxygen is a by-product of photosynthesis.
E)Energy can be transformed from one form to another.

Question 32

Mitochondria resemble bacteria in

A)size.
B)structure.
C)that they contain DNA.
D)that they divide independently.
E)all of these.

Question 33

The first cells were

A)autotrophic.
B)parasitic.
C)anaerobic.
D)aerobic.
E)all of these.

Question 34

The earliest type of eukaryotic organism currently known is a type of

A)virus.
B)bacterium.
C)alga.
D)animal-like protist.
E)fungus.

Question 35

Contemporary hypotheses concerned with the origin of life focus on what two characteristics of living systems?

A)energy conversion and biosynthesis
B)self-replication and energy conversion
C)plasma membranes and self-replication
D)growth and development
E)adaptation and responsiveness

Question 36

The earliest known organism capable of sexual reproduction is a type of

A)virus.
B)bacterium.
C)alga.
D)animal-like protist.
E)fungus.

Question 37

The figure above represents

A)the algae that were to give rise to plants.
B)protists.
C)fungi.
D)soil bacterium with primitive membrane folds.
E)all of these.

Question 38

Which step in the evolution of life is the most complex and probably occurred last?

A)formation of DNA
B)formation of protein-RNA systems
C)formation of membrane-bound proto-cells
D)spontaneous formation of organic compounds under abiotic conditions
E)formation of ATP

Question 39

The extensive infolding of eukaryotic membranes form structures that allow for

A)the concentration of nutrients.
B)greater surface area for metabolism.
C)the transport of proteins.
D)the protection of metabolic machinery.
E)all of these.

Question 40

Fossils indicate that the first cells were similar to existing

A)viruses.
B)fungi.
C)prokaryotes.
D)eukaryotes.
E)algae.

Question 41

The first major divergence of life gave rise to all of the following except

A)bacteria.
B)archea.
C)ancestors of the eukaryotes.
D)endomembrane system.
E)all of these.

Question 42

Chloroplasts

A)resemble photosynthetic bacteria.
B)utilize the same pigments regardless of what organism they are in.
C)apparently evolved from mitochondria.
D)utilize DNA derived from the nucleus.
E)are all of these.

Question 43

The endomembrane system did not start developing until the atmosphere was

A)high oxygen, high carbon dioxide.
B)high hydrogen, low oxygen.
C)changing from low oxygen to high oxygen.
D)firmly in the age of aerobes.
E)all of these.

Question 44

The first eukaryotic cells had

A)a nucleus.
B)an endomembrane system.
C)mitochondria.
D)chloroplasts.
E)all of these.

Question 45

Chloroplasts are thought to have originated as endosymbiotic associations when aerobic bacteria engulfed photosynthetic cells.This relationship was favored by the production of ___________ by the endosymbiont.

A)glucose
B)hydrogen ions
C)ATP
D)oxygen
E)water

Question 46

The archea include which of the following?

A)extreme thermophiles
B)alga
C)protista
D)animals
E)all of these

Question 47

The Mars expeditions are looking for life in which of the following?

A)air
B)rock
C)water
D)subsurface soil
E)archeological sites

Question 48

The mitochondrion

A)has its own DNA.
B)DNA has few noncoding regions between genes..
C)resembles bacteria in size..
D)resembles bacteria in structure..
E)is all of these.

Question 49

During the first major divergence of life the atmosphere was

A)high oxygen, high carbon dioxide.
B)high hydrogen, low oxygen.
C)changing from anaerobic to aerobic.
D)firmly in the age of aerobes.
E)all of these.

Question 50

Which of the following is the strongest evidence for the idea that present-day eukaryotic aerobes are the descendants of the successful symbiotic association of anaerobes and aerobes?

A)Mitochondria can produce ATP.
B)A mitochondrion can survive indefinitely when removed from a eukaryotic cell.
C)A mitochondrion has its own set of DNA molecules.
D)Fossilized mitochondria are older than the oldest fossilized eukaryotes.
E)All eukaryotic cells have mitochondria.

Question 51

Astrobiology seeks to answer all of the following questions EXCEPT

A)What is necessary for life to persist..
B)Is there life on other planets.
C)What conditions allowed life to form on earth.
D)Can we colonize other planets with life from earth.
E)All of these are true.

Question 52

Aerobic respiration evolved in

A)some bacteria.
B)some archea.
C)animals.
D)mitochondria.
E)in some bacteria and some archea.